14 May 2010

Friday Ramblings: My First Crush (Ralph Tresvant)!

I know a woman who has turned her home office into a shrine to Gerald Butler. Frankly, I think she's crazy for coco puffs.

I know women who squeal whenever they see a picture of crazy stalker dude (aka Robert Pattinson). I pretend to understand, but I'm really laughing at them.

I see the little girls screaming like fools whenever they see Crazy Stalker Dude and Jacobs Abs (Taylor Lautner) on Oprah and I'm thinking come on girlys get a grip. Sure, they're nice to look at, but WTF. It's especially absurd to me when I see grown women (or women over thirty) doing it.

It's the same thing when I'm watching America's Next Top Model and those silly girls scream like banshees whenever Tyra Banks walks into the room.

I don't mind a little healthy lust/admiration but keep it in private people, they're just people. Get a grip.

Frankly, I don't get it.

. . . . And then this happened . . . .

On Monday, I was at work listening to Pandora (great online radio station) while I was entering data into my computer. All of a sudden the next song comes on and it's Mr. Telephone Man by New Edition. I haven't heard that song in years. So what does yours truly do?

I freaked the F out. Doesn't matter that I'm surrounded by people, I start singing the lyrics to that song at the top of my lungs. I'm no longer sitting at my desk working; I've been transported to that little twin bed I slept on as a child, looking up at the Right On! Posters plastered on my walls as the Quiet Storm is playing on my boom box in the corner.

I'm lusting after the first real love of my life . . . Ralph Tresvant.

You don't know who he is? Umm, where have you been people!

My fascination with Ralph (second from left below and above) begin when I was in the 5th Grade (I'm showing my age now aren't I). My older cousin had New Edition's first album Candy Girl. Candy Girl had this one song that Ralph sang . . .. I LOVED. LOVED. LOVED that song. Even now, twenty-seven years later, I can recite the lyrics.

Is this the end? Are you my friend? It seems to me you out to be free. You used to be mine when the chips were down. You used to be mine when I'm not around. Oh girl, can't you see how I feel. All these feelings that I feel are real. Oh girl, can't you see that I need you.

Then later Ricky Bell's (first on the left) part:

Mama told me one day it was gonna happen, but she never told me when. She told me it would happen when I was much older, wish it would've happened then.
Better yet. How about this. Listen to this song and tell me how any pre-teen's heart can't melt!




Okay, I couldn't resist. I've got issues. That is still my favorite song by them. Because it was the first song by them that captured my emotions. You always remember your first!

Fifth grade was the year I had my favorite teacher. She's the one who told me that the crappy story I had written for her class was great and that I should be a writer. Then, to make matters worse, the librarian in that school told me that I was beautiful and I had one of the prettiest names she's ever heard.

I fell for that praise hook, line, and sinker. That's when I started spending so much time in the library. That's why now twenty-seven years later, I read and write. Now, the more cynical grown-up me thinks that the librarian said I had a great name because she worked in an inner city school and she was probably relieved my name wasn’t Sha-NayNay, Porsche, or something like that. LOL!

But, back to Ralph. Yes, I get side tracked a lot, but I did have a point.

From that moment on, I started writing plays. My friends and I each had our favorite New Edition member and I wrote plays which starred us and New Edition. In the end, I always got my man. I wrote the plays all the time, I did it throughout middle school. Which probably explains why I went from being in the honors class in 6th grade, to the yes you're smart but not that smart class in 7th and 8th grade.

Another sidetrack:

By the way, was my school system back home the only one like that? We had the honors class, the smart class, the average class, and then the class for the delinquents. And from an early age, everyone knew which class was which. I mean I knew it in the Second Grade. I hated my second grade teacher and she hated me and as a result I didn't do so good in second grade and she switched my classroom in Third Grade. I had to leave the honors group and go into the smart class. I was right back in with the honors kids in Fourth Grade, but I still remember that heif . . . . never, mind.

Back to Ralph.

Does anyone remember Right On! magazine? Is it still out now? Basically it was the Tiger Beat for black folks. They always had New Edition posters inside of them and I papered my bedroom walls with them. Poor Ralph went through an awful adolescent phase where he had pimples and braces and those morons shot a picture of him in full pimple/braces mode. As an adult, I'm like why did they do that to that poor boy. As a kid, I had that picture tacked to my wall and was kissing it every night!

I also used to get into fights with people over Ralph. Right On! used to have a section in the back of their magazine where you could write to pen pals. I put my information in there. I had one pen pal that I wrote to on and off for years until we lost touch when I went into the Army. I found her once about seven or eight years ago, sent her an e-mail, we e-mailed back and forth and then I moved and changed e-mail providers and lost her information. So Kasonja, if you're out there in blog world. Send me a shout out!

Then I had another pen-pal who I got into a big pissing contest over Ralph Tresvant. We got into a big fight (or as much as a fight that you could get into through letters – LOL) about Ralph. For the life of me, I can't remember what it was about. But I know that ended our friendship.

Soon after, that ended my love affair Ralph. I still loved the music but I no longer felt the need to clutter my walls with posters. And real boys became more interesting than fantasy ones. And then, my obsession with Ralph, my dreams of us running off into the sunset and living happily ever after with him, waned.

Until, I'm sitting at my desk listening to Pandora and a certain song comes on the radio!

So, who was you're first crush? What memory does it evoke for you?

By the way, my Ralph Tresvant obsession became a twitter conversation and I realized I'm not alone. Check out my fellow bloggers and discover who they're first crush was!

Marissa's Book Lair

Hanging With Bells

TwiMom227: That's What I'm Talking About!

Mama Kitty

Love 2 Read 4 Fun






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8 people posted their 2 cents:

Marq said...

I've always loved Ralph. He was so dreamy; jacked up teeth and all. Lost in Love is my favorite NE song from back in the day. I remember middle school dances and the song would come on and you hope that the boy that you're crushing on would ask you to dance. And when he did, you would slow dance, standing two feet apart, looking at your feet cause you're too scared to look each other in the face. Ah memories!

My first crush was Michael Jackson only because when I was in 6th grade, I crushed on this boy named Rodney because he looked like MJ from the Beat It video. Haha! He had the jeri curl, sunglasses and the red leather jacket. He was so hot! I crushed on MJ because of Rodney. How backwards is that! Like Rodney is the one that created the look and MJ copied HIM!

But first serious crush had to be Kirk Cameron. I watched Growing Pains just to watch him. My walls were plastered with Kirk Cameron posters and pics from Tiger Beat and other teen magazines. I don't know what it was about him but I thought he was the shiznit. Too bad he's a looney tune now (IMO).

Lynette said...

@Marq LOL. For some reason I never fantasized about MJ. I did but I always imagined that I was a Jackson that I was he and Janet's (who was on Fame at the time)little sister. I never wished MJ was mine. Is that a hint that shows that even as young as I was I had some sense! I watched Growing Pains but I was never deep, deep into it. Too busy reading!

Twimom227 said...

I loved New Edition. Lost in Love was so dreamy and I'd pretend to slow dance all the time. I listened to the 45 so much I had to buy a second one after I put skips in the first. Great first crush!!

Marissa said...

I love your post, have never heard of New Edition, my first crush was on John Taylor of Duran Duran, love the pics!

Wendy said...

Now I have Ralph's "Sensitivity" running through my brain on an endless loop. My earworm for the day!

I never got hooked into New Edition, and mostly followed the guys after they went solo. Loved that first Bobby Brown album (oh, what once was!), Ralph and, of course, Bell Biv Devoe.

Oh, and Right On! does still exist. At least online: http://www.rightonmag.com/

Lynette said...

Guys, I'm sorry. Trying to limit my computer time at work. So sorry, it's taking me a minute to reply to you!

@TwiMom -- Ohh, I loved Lost in Love too. You are seriously taking me back!

@marissa - If they were to come out now, they'd be totally cheesy, but back then they were IT. New Edition actually revived the Boy Band craze. 'Cause after them came New Kids on the Block (same guy gave them the start), Back Street Boys and N'Sync and all the others. New Edition was the first.

@Wendy! Bobby has always been a little nutso too me, and I never forgave him for leaving New Edition. Back then, I was firmly on Ralph's side. LOL! I did Love Bell, Biv, Devoe. And now as I type this Poison is going through my head! LOL!

BTW, thanks for the link for Right On! I have no idea who anyone is that they're talking about now! Sigh. I am no longer hip!

Leontine said...

You're educating the greenhopper here Lynette!! Never heard of New Edition *eek* My first crush? it was the summer of 1987, I was at the tender age of 11 when I started to swing my hips to...sing-a-long with me ladies; "Now I...had the time of my liiiiiife and i never felt this way before. Yes I swear it's the truth and I owe it all to you." *insert drums beating*

Yes Dirty Dancing was in the theatres and Patrick Swayze owned my heart *teen dreamy sigh* I followed his career throughout my whole teenage years LOL

Bells said...

As you know I loved Ralph too. Right On magazine was the bomb back in the day! I need to get some more NE CD's so I can reminisce about the good ole days.

The subject of crushes will always bring up my girl cousins because we spent so much time together. I miss those days.

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